Landscape Officer

• Suffolk County Council - Endeavour House, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 2BX / Hybrid
• £17.29 per hour
• No guaranteed hours, As and when required
• Zero Hour contract, Permanent

At Suffolk County Council (SCC), every role is a chance to create positive change. We're not just a local authority; we're a team of dedicated individuals working together to improve lives across our diverse communities. As our new Landscape Officer, you'll have the unique opportunity to see the direct impact of your work on the people and places that make Suffolk special. Your contributions will help build a brighter future for all. If you're passionate about making a real, tangible difference, it's time to reimagine your career with us. Join Suffolk County Council and turn your passion for positive change into action.

The Natural Environment Team provides a key service within SCC, and in support of wider environmental activities throughout the county. Working alongside a wide range of colleagues, we ensure that Suffolk's landscape and biodiversity are protected and enhanced in line with local and national legislation, as well as climate change, nature recovery, and community-focused objectives.

This Landscape Officer role presents a great opportunity for you to work with a range of organisations to ensure that the special qualities of Suffolk's landscape are conserved and enhanced for future generations.

Your role and responsibilities

• Collaborating with colleagues in Landscape, Ecology, Development Control, and Highways to ensure that new developments and infrastructure schemes maintain and enhance the landscape.
• Reading and responding to reports and planning applications, visiting proposed development sites, and liaising with colleagues within SCC and other Local Authorities throughout Suffolk.
• Supporting the championing of the landscapes of Suffolk as important building blocks of Suffolk's growth and health and well-being.
• Supporting the delivery of landscape conservation projects in conjunction with County Council colleagues and external partner organisations.

You will need

• Demonstrable knowledge and experience of the planning system and development management, up-to-date knowledge of Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment guidelines, and the ability to interpret and carry out assessments.
• Skilled at interpreting reports to understand landscape impacts.
• Knowledge of environmental and planning legislation.

The team

• This role is a key element within the wider Natural Environment Team, which leads on SCC's responsibility to protect and enhance the landscape and biodiversity of Suffolk.
• The team prides itself on providing a voice for Ecology and landscape throughout the organisation and supporting other departments to deliver services that protect and enhance them wherever possible.
• We have a culture of mutual support and positivity with a great collaborative spirit. We embrace innovation and share knowledge and learning regularly.
• This role is a powerful way in which an individual can make a positive difference for landscape and nature, with outcomes that will have a lasting, visible legacy.
• Although the team practices hybrid working, we try to be in the office regularly to meet other team members, offer support, and share knowledge and learning.

Empowering Everyone

We're big believers in potential, possibility, and the power of different ideas. We're always searching for ways to encourage, respect, and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups currently underrepresented in the organisation.

For more information

Please contact Nick Dickson, Natural Environment Manager, for a casual conversation. You can reach him by 01473 264628 or emailing nick.dickson@suffolk.gov.uk.

How to apply

Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (docx).

Step 2 - Click 'Apply Now' to start your online application.

Step 3 - Upload a supporting statement answering the following questions (no more than 400 words per question). Use the Supporting Statement template (docx).

1. Can you describe a time when you successfully collaborated with colleagues from different disciplines to achieve a complex project goal?

2. Describe a situation where you had to adapt your approach when facing unexpected challenges in a landscape or environmental project.

3. Describe how you would approach providing landscape advice for a significant infrastructure project.

Step 4 - Upload a CV (without name and personal details).

Please note: Without a supporting statement and CV, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.

We value authentic applications that showcase your genuine skills and experiences. Applications suspected of being generated by AI may be rejected. We encourage you to present your own work and ideas throughout the application process.

If you require any reasonable adjustments to the application process before the next selection stage, please contact our Recruitment Team by emailing recruitment@suffolk.gov.uk or calling 03456 014412. If you are invited to the next stage of selection, you will have another opportunity to request adjustments for the next stages of the process.

Closing date: 11.30 pm, 12 January 2025.

Interview date: 21 January 2025.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.

As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities, and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We're driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.

In return, you'll enjoy:

• Up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days.
• Membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
• Travel, lifestyle, health, and wellbeing benefits.
• Performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase.
• Training and encouragement to expand your knowledge.
• A variety of career development opportunities across our organisation.
• Diverse and active staff networks.
• Flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day.

Plus lots more!

If you want to know more about our benefits, values, and equality commitments, please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website (careers.Suffolk.gov.uk).